Tag: Steve Novak

Rockets 101, Spurs 87 – final

Veteran T.J. Ford and rookies Cory Joseph and Kawhi Leonard made their Spurs debut. The Spurs opened the preseason with a 101-87 loss to the Rockets on Saturday in Houston.

Ford started and played 25 minutes and finished with eight points and six assists. Leonard played 22 minutes and had two points and five rebounds. Joseph, who practice with the team for the first time earlier in the day, played 19 minutes and had four points and two assists.

Tim Duncan, Tony Parker and Gary Neal did not play. DeJuan Blair and Manu Ginobili led the Spurs with 16 points each, Tiago Splitter had 13 and Matt Bonner had 12. Luis Scola led the Rockets with 20 points.

The Spurs shot poorly, hitting 29 of 82 from the field (35.4 percent). They actually shot much better the second half at 21 of 42 (50.0 percent).

Fourth quarter: The Rockets lead by seven points with 2:42 left. Spurs coach Gregg Popovich likes those close preseason games to see how the young guys respond in those situations.

Spurs try to make a late run with Cory Joseph, Danny Green, Kawhi Leonard, Steve Novak and DeJuan Blair.

Third quarter – Rockets 71, Spurs 65: T.J. Ford is showing his experience in his first appearance in a Spurs uniform. He has eight points and six assists.

DeJuan Blair is working on a double-double. He has 12 points and six rebounds. The Rockets lead 69-57 with 2:57 left in the third quarter.

Though none of the Spurs are shooting well, Manu Ginobili is’t doing too bad. He is 6 of 14 from the field and has a team-high 16 points.

Halftime – Rockets 51, Spurs 36: The Spurs are shooting like they haven’t played in more than seven months – 8 of 40 from field in half. DeJuan Blair has nine points and five rebounds.

The Spurs missed their first seven shots of the second quarter. With lots of young guys and no Tony and Tim, there are some unusual lineups.

First quarter – Rockets 24, Spurs 20: Matt Bonner has 7 points and 3 rebounds. Spurs rookies Kawhi Leonard and Cory Joseph both see action.

Matt Bonner hits his first shot of the year, or at least the preseason, hitting a 3-pointer. The Rockets’ Luis Scola follows with a basket and he has 10 points.

We’re about to get our first game-action look at Kawhi Leonard as a Spur late in the first quarter.

The Rockets lead the Spurs 18-6 at the first timeout midway through the first quarter. The Spurs missed eight of their first 11 shots.

The Rockets opened the game with an 11-2 run. Houston’s Luis Scola (remember him?) made his first four shots. Richard Jefferson hit a long jumper for the Spurs’ first basket.

Spurs starters: T.J. Ford, Manu Ginobili, Richard Jefferson, DeJuan Blair and Tiago Splitter. Tony Parker, Tim Duncan and Gary Neal are not playing tonight.

Join in for a live chat (BELOW) – it’s live now.

Saturday notes: Cory Joseph finally is on the job:

McDyess sticks to retirement decision

The Spurs had hoped a short post-lockout season might help them convince veteran big man Antonio McDyess he could play one more season, even at age 37.

On Monday they officially gave up the quest.

With a deadline for fully guaranteeing McDyess’ $5.22 million contract approaching at the end of the business day, the Spurs waived the 6-foot-9 forward from Alabama.

“When a player gets to a certain age and certain circumstances in his life, he knows when it’s time to do certain things,” said Spurs coach Gregg Popovich, who said he spoke with McDyess last week. “He’s had a long time to think about it, all summer and fall. He finally made his decision.”

The club gets to remove $2.61 million from its player payroll, a significant factor since the Spurs likely will be over the NBA’s new luxury tax threshold this season.

McDyess made it clear during training camp for the 2010-11 season that it likely would be his last. When the Grizzlies eliminated the Spurs from the playoffs in the first round in April, he reiterated he would retire, regretting only how his career ended.

“This was not at all how I wanted it to end, but signing here was one of the best things I did in my career,” he said. “I wouldn’t trade these two years for the world, one of the greatest times of my whole career. I just wish we would have gone farther.”

McDyess averaged 5.6 points and 5.7 rebounds in 150 games in his two seasons in silver and black. His buzzer-beating tip-in produced a dramatic 89-88 victory over the Lakers at Staples Center in February, a play McDyess called one of the most memorable of his career.

Popovich remembered McDyess’ selfless approach to the game.

“He’s one of the great teammates that we’ve had in the NBA for the last 15 years. Everybody who has coached him or played with him will tell you that. It’s not just my opinion. He’s a wonderful, polite, great individual; really a special guy. He leaves a heck of a legacy, a fine reputation.

“He’s a really unique player, the way he plays defense, can shoot the shot, can guard a four or a five. You don’t replace a guy like that.”

NOVAK WAIVED: The Spurs also waived 6-foot-10 forward Steve Novak, who played 23 games with the club last season. Novak had signed a non-guaranteed contract on Thursday.

It appears the Spurs were complying with a request from Novak, who has an opportunity to sign a fully guaranteed deal with the Knicks if he clears waivers, according to Yahoo! Sports.

NEAL HOPEFUL: Shooting guard Gary Neal will visit his doctor today, hoping for clearance to begin conditioning work to get back on the court.

Feeling good one week after undergoing an appendectomy, Neal has not been allowed any physical activity since the operation.

“Hopefully, the doctor will let me start running,” he said. “I’m anxious to get back to work.”

No amnesty for Jefferson

By Jeff McDonald
jmcdonald@express-news.net

HOUSTON – Meet the new starting small forward, same as the old starting small forward.

After a week of flirting with other small forwards, the Spurs will open the preseason tonight at the Toyota Center with Richard Jefferson still on the roster and the remaining three years and $30.5 million on his contract still on the team payroll.

Friday’s NBA deadline for executing amnesty on a player – waiving him in order to clean his contract off the books for salary-cap purposes – came and went without Jefferson being jettisoned.

The Spurs had been strongly considering releasing the 31-year-old Jefferson, but backed away when they couldn’t seem to attract a suitable replacement. Though amnesty is off the table for the 2011-12 season, the team could still use the one-time provision for next season beginning in July.

In two seasons with the Spurs, Jefferson averaged 11.6 points. He shot 44 percent from 3-point range last season, a career-high and fifth-best in the league.

“He had a hell of a year for us,” coach Gregg Popovich said. “I think he’ll just move forward from there.”

ROOKIE ORIENTATION: One Spurs rookie first-rounder is sure to make his NBA debut tonight. Thanks to Canada’s Citizens and Immigration Department, the Spurs’ other rookie first-rounder is at least eligible to.

Point guard Cory Joseph, the 29th pick out of Texas, received a work visa from his native Canada as expected Friday and joined the Spurs in Houston. He is scheduled to participate in his first Spurs practice with this morning’s shootaround, though it is uncertain if he will play against the Rockets.

Meanwhile, small forward Kawhi Leonard – the 15th pick in June – is eager to play in his first game in an NBA uniform, even if it’s just an exhibition.

“I’m just anxious to play really, just to see how the NBA-paced game is and get use to the atmosphere so I can get better,” Leonard said.

OH, HIM: Steve Novak, the former Marquette star who re-joined the Spurs Thursday was thrilled to go through his first practice on Friday, getting re-acquainted with most of the teammates with whom he played in the final three months of the 2010-11 season.

“I sure loved it here with the Spurs, so I’m very happy to be back,” he said.

Novak spent his time during the NBA lockout in his home base in Milwaukee, working out with Marquette players, past and present, including some NBA players.

“There were quite a few (NBA players),” he said. “Myself, Lazar Hayward, Jimmy Butler, Wes Matthews and, and — I’m forgetting one. There were five guys. Who am I forgetting? Oh, yeah, D. Wade. But he didn’t work out with us. He was just there a couple of days.”

That would be Dwyane Wade, All-NBA star of the Heat and MVP of the 2006 NBA Finals.
Wade and Novak were teammates at Marquette in 2002-03.

Novak, 6-10, believes he has a decent shot at making the Spurs opening night roster because the Spurs have only four NBA-experienced big men and because of his long-distance shooting ability.